Iraq Recaptures Key City Of Mosul, Declares Victory Over The ISIS “Caliphate”

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the end of the self-declared Caliphate of the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) in the long-besieged Middle-eastern country.

The Iraqi Army, aided by Kurdish militias and international forces, marked the end of eight months of the gruelling war effort to retake the city of Mosul, which, after falling to ISIS in June 2014, served as the terror group’s de facto capital in Iraq.

While a few hundred militants remain in a few neighbourhoods, the city is expected to be rid of ISIS fighters in the next few days.

At the same time, over 15,000 noncombatants (according to the United Nations, the number could be as high as 50,000) are trapped in the Old City neighbourhood. Rescuing them and ridding the city of bombs and mines will prove to be a herculean task for coalition forces in the coming days. However, the city is back in Iraqi control.

We are seeing the end of the fake Daesh state, the liberation of Mosul proves that. We will not relent, our brave forces will bring victory

The seizure of the nearly 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri Mosque was from where the Islamic State (also known as Daesh) proclaimed its “Caliphate” nearly three years ago. When opposition forces recaptured the mosque, it served as a telling symbolic victory for the conflict-plagued nation.

“The return of al-Nuri Mosque and al-Hadba minaret to the fold of the nation marks the end of the Daesh state of falsehood,”Prime Minister al-Abadi said in a statement. “We will continue chasing ISIS until we kill and arrest [every] last one of them.”

The Battle of Mosul has claimed the lives of over 10,000 civilians and displaced over 8,00,000. The Iraqi Civil War itself has claimed the lives of at least 50,000 since 2014 and has displaced over 4 million Iraqis, enabling the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

ISIS regime in Iraq to finally end

Yahya Rasool, the spokesperson for Iraq’s Joint Command told Kurdish media network Rudaw on Thursday that “militarily” ISIS has been defeated in the entire Mosul. He said that there are still tens of ISIS militants in small places of Old Mosul.

He called on the Iraqi people to “celebrate” the end of the extremist group in the city.

Families covered in dust huddled in the shade of half-destroyed storefronts waiting for flatbed trucks to move them to camps.

“We saw so many bodies stuck under the rubble as we fled,”said Muhammed Hamoud who escaped the Old City with his wife and two children.“One man was still alive. He yelled for us to help him. We were able to dig him out, but he was so badly injured we had to leave him. We couldn’t carry him with us.”

Since ISIS took the Mosul, over half the pre-war population has fled the ancient city.

Since ISIS took the Mosul in June 2014, over half the pre-war population has fled the ancient city. The three-year occupation and the eight-month war have inflicted untold hardships and resulted in historic casualties. The overall death toll is yet to be assessed, though the number will include at least 10,000 deaths.CDN

Raqqa, Syria also en route to being liberated

Reuters reports that the Islamic State’s stronghold in Syria, Raqqa, is also close to falling.

A US-backed Kurdish-led coalition besieging Raqqa on Thursday, fully encircled it after closing the ISIS militants’ last way out from the south, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

These setbacks have reduced Islamic State’s territory by 60% from its peak two years ago and its revenue by 80%, to just $16 million a month, said IHS Markit.

ISIS remains a force in Syria

Jubilant as the world is at the fall of the Islamic State in Iraq, it should not be forgotten that the group still holds powerful sway in neighbouring Syria. It commands a region as big as Belgium and the threat of lone wolf extremists blowing themselves up or planting bombs in other parts of the world remains a major concern.

At the same time, the terror group has made inroads in the Philippines, with the city of Marawi battling an escalation of militants and brutality since May.

The war against ISIS scored a major victory on 29 June 2017. However, the war is not over.

Iraqi Woman Kidnapped By IS And Served As A Sex Slave Becomes UN Ambassador, Fights For Justice Of Thousands

Over 85 Civilians Including Children Killed In US Air Strike In Syria

Partner Story

This Mother’s Day, Let Us Make A Real Difference In Our Mother’s Life

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Mothers play a crucial role in our lives. Since we were little, they held our hands, acting as our guide into the world. They took care of all our needs – from teaching us how to hold a spoon, cooking delicious meals for us, dropping us to school and sitting with us while we struggled with our math homework – mothers have been there through thick and thin.

On the special occasion of Mother’s Day, Friends Adult Diapers has a beautiful message for each of us – treat your mother the way she has treated you all her life.

It was our mothers who stayed up all night taking care of us when we fell sick; it was her who help us with our homework. This Mother’s Day, remember to take care and support your mother the way she took care of you all these years.

The minds and bodies of our ageing parents dwindle as they grow even older, and somewhere in the incoherence of understanding their thoughts, children lose patience. They spend less and less time with their parents and hire others to look after them. A study by HelpAge India gives accounts of the elderly, most of whom testify to verbal abuse, neglect and disrespect by their children. Old people rely on their children for both emotional and financial support but, often times are not given the needed care.

There is little difference in how we were as toddlers and how parents are as senior citizens. They couldn’t understand the gibber we uttered then, yet taught us different languages. We were financially dependent on them till at least 18 years of age yet, they never said no to giving us pocket money. Why cannot we echo the same patience our parents showed for so many years?

Our parents have an unconditional love for us. They made sure all our needs are cared for and we never feel alone. When we grow up and our parents enter old age, they require the same care and affection. They would be delighted if we spent time with them after classes or work, make tea or cook for them and also help them with household chores when they have too many things at hand.

It is our responsibility to stand with our parents when they are weak; it is our responsibility to cook for them when they are too tired, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they fall sick.

Mother’s Day is a celebration in honour of motherhood, a tribute to maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Let us make a real difference by showing how much we truly care for our mothers.

Friends Adult Diapers has taken a wonderful initiative in this regard. The most precious gift for a mother is her child. So why not take this as an opportunity to shower her with the same love? After all, she deserves it for being with you through every obstacle and every hardship that you faced.